Memory Structures for Relational Escalation A Cognitive Test of the Sequencing of Relational Actions and Stages

On the basis of memory structure research, a series of four studies was conducted in order to determine whether individuals (1) could generate memory structures for escalating relationships, (2) agree on the rank ordering of expected actions, (3) distinguish between the perceived typicality of such actions and how necessary the behaviors were in order for a relationship to develop, and (4) segment prototypical scenes of escalating relationships in a time-ordered linear sequence. A number of hypotheses dealing with the generation and processing of expectations for relationship growth are offered and discussed. Additionally, gender differences are posited in which women generate more escalating actions, process relationship memory structures faster, and rate common actions as being more typical than men do. Results revealed a prototypical escalating memory structure containing 13 behaviors that could be processed and understood in terms of four underlying factors. Gender differences were also observed, and these are discussed in terms of females closely monitoring relational trajectories. Implications of memory structure research for analyzing relational stages are discussed as well.     

EFFECTS OF VERBAL REGULATION AND AGE ON RULE ACQUISITION AND TRANSFER

The ability of 119 children (mean ages 6.2, 8.2, 10.1, and 12.3) to perform rule learning and subsequent transfer tasks was observed utilizing three experimental conditions: overt-verbal, covert-verbal, and control. The performance of the subjects suggests that the child who is forced to verbalize his conceptual strategies will reach criterion faster in the rule acquisition task, and will also be more successful in his attempts to transfer the acquired rule. With regard to the transfer tasks specifically, it was found that overt-verbal learning was significantly more effective than covert-learning, and that the covert-verbal condition yielded significantly higher scores than did the control condition. These results point to the effectiveness of verbal strategies in the acquisition and transfer of learning.     

MECHANISMS LINKING REALISTIC JOB PREVIEWS WITH TURNOVER: A META‐ANALYTIC PATH ANALYSIS

A meta‐analytic path analysis with k = 52 studies and sample size of roughly 17,000 showed that enhanced perceptions of organizational honesty is the primary mechanism by which realistic job previews (RJPs) influence voluntary turnover. This suggests revisions to RJP theory to incorporate social exchange and the way RJPs lead individuals to feel about the organization. Results assessing several new potential moderators of relationships between RJPs and turnover found that the most effective RJP design may be an oral or written RJP delivered posthire and designed to signal organizational honesty. We discuss several key theoretical and practical implications of the results based on a novel signaling theory perspective on RJPs.     

Enhancing Older Adult Eyewitness Memory with the Cognitive Interview

Thirty older (m age=71.73 years) and 20 young adults (m age=21.60 years) viewed a videotape of a simulated crime and were then interviewed with either a Cognitive Interview (CI) or a standard police interview (SI). The older participants were interviewed with either an SI, CI, or CI that was modified for older people (CI–M). No differences were found between the CI and CI–M. The CI elicited more information than the SI, without a reduction in accuracy rate. Moreover, the advantage of the CI over the SI was greater for the older than for the young participants. There were no overall age-related differences. Results are discussed in terms of performance of older witnesses and implications for understanding how the CI functions.     

THE INFLUENCE OF RELATIONAL DEMOGRAPHY ON PANEL INTERVIEW RATINGS: A FIELD EXPERIMENT

The influence of relational demography (assessor race, candidate race, and the racial composition of rating panels) was examined in a structured interview setting. Twenty assessors (10 White and 10 Black) comprising five, 4-person panels of all possible racial compositions, evaluated videotaped responses of police officers participating in a promotion process. Each panel rated the same 73 (36 White and 37 Black) candidates' responses to a complex, structured interview question. An examination of mean overall ratings revealed a same race bias and a significant difference between panels based upon the relational demography of the interview panel; nevertheless, the size of these effects was small. Net reconciliation (i.e., between initial and final scores) differed significantly between minority and majority panel conditions for only Black assessors and, again, the effects here were very small. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

THE PRACTICE OF COMPETENCY MODELING

The purpose of this article is to define and explain a trend that has caused a great deal of confusion among HR researchers, practitioners, and consumers of HR-related services: competency modeling. The Job Analysis and Competency Modeling Task Force, a work group jointly sponsored by the Professional Practice Committee and the Scientific Affairs Committee of the Society For Industrial and Organizational Psychology, has recently concluded a 2-year investigation into the antecedents of competency modeling and an examination of the current range of practice. Competency modeling is compared and contrasted to job analysis using a conceptual framework (reflected in a 10-dimension Level of Rigor Scale) that practitioners and researchers may use to guide future work efforts, and which could be used as a basis for developing standards for practice. The strengths and weaknesses of both competency modeling and job analysis are identified and, where appropriate, recommendations are made for leveraging strengths in one camp to shore-up weaknesses in the other.